Cleaner attachment for player pianos



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nn vsr H nnY LENZ Ann HARRY pr 'nvliNsvI LE, nvnrana.

CLEANER ATTACHMENT ronprnnvnn rm ros.

To uZZwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERNsr HENRY Lnnz and HARRY BELL, citizens of the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in CleanerAttachments for Player Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to player pianos, and has for its chief object the provision of an efiicient and inexpensive attachment therefor, by means of which dust or other foreign matter which accumulates insidethe tubes and elsewhere upon the piano may be readily and easily removed by suction produced by the pneumatic system of the piano itself;

'More specifically stated, the invention comprehends the provisionof a valve like mechanism through the instrumentality of which aircurrents of the player mechanism may be deflected or diverted so that suction Inuit be created in the tubes of the cleaning device forming the subject matter of .the .invention.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood when the following detail description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as claimed. e

Inthe drawings forming part of this application like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views and wherein. a V

Figure 1 is a fragmentary viewof a player piano showing the position of the attachment in use.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2- 2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the device removed showing the operative position of parts.

Figure 4. is an edge elevation showing the inoperative position of the parts.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fi ure 1 showing a modification of the invention.

The device forming the subject matter of this invention embodies two blocks indicated at ll) and 11, which may be constructed from any suitable material preferably wood, and preferably of the design illustrated. The blocks are of equal dimensions, except in thickness, their small ends being overlapped Application filed August 31, .1920. S er ia 1 No. 4 07,145.

Specification of Letters Ifatent. Patented 21,

and pivoted 'as at 12. Interposed. between these blocks and secured to the block 11 is a piece of leather or other suitable material forming an air tight medium when the blocks aremoved one upon the other. The block '10 is provided with'an elongated slot 14 to receive the element 15 which preferably is .a ,screw secured to the block 11, and servang as a means forholding the block readily together against the air-tight medium 13.

Encircling the pivot 12 and also the pin 15 are -.coi-led' springs 17 with washers interposed between them and the block forming a base" for the pressure of the springs against the block 11, which yieldably hold .the blocks properly and operatively associated. The block 10 is provided with an opening .18 in which is fitted a tube 19 which may be constructed from any suitable material and secured in place upon the blocks. This tube forms a part of an air channel. betweenthemotor and the mecha i fnism of the player valves and is engaged in a tube 20, which tube leads to the motor of the piano. The block 11 is also provided with anYopening 21 similar to the-opening 18in the" block .10 and also forms a part of the air passage from the motor to the ac- .tion valves of the piano, and receives the tube .22 located on the tempo box 23 from which .the hose or tube20 has been removed. A relatively small tube 2 1 is secured to the block 16 being preferably made of metal, extending farenough away from .the block to accommodate a fiexible hose 25. *As clearly shown in the drawings,this tube 24lies directly above the opening 21 in the block 11' thereby directing the suction into the flexible hose. 25.

A lever 26 is secured to the block 10 and is utilized for adjusting the blocks in a manner to be hereinafter described, this lever being of any desired length and constructed from any suitable material, it being provided with an elongated slot 27 to receive a pin 28 carried by an operating rod 29 which terminates to provide a finger receiving ring 30, except where the device is placed so as to beoperated by thehands in which case the slotted operating rod is dispensed with.

The operating rod recip-' rocates throughsuitable guides 31 secured f to the underside of the key board of the piano. Associated with the flexible hose 25 is a short tube 32 which receives the dust or other foreign matter drawn from E, H. LENZ AND H. BELL. CLEANER ATTACHMENT FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3!, 1920.

Patenwd Mar. 21, 1922.

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